Send forth Wisdom, o Lord, from the seat of Thy greatness, that she may be with me and work with me, * that I may know what is acceptable before Thee at every time. ℣. Grant me Wisdom, o Lord, that standeth before Thy seats. That I may know... Glory be... That I may know... (The third responsory for the readings of the month of August from the Sapiential books; the text is taken from book of Wisdom, 9, 10 & 4.)
A motet of the first part of this responsory, by the Franco-Flemish composer Dominique Phinot (ca. 1510-56).℟. Emitte, Dómine, sapientiam de sede magnitúdinis tuae, ut mecum sit et mecum labóret, * Ut sciam quid acceptum sit coram te omni témpore. ℣. Da mihi, Dómine, sedium tuárum assistrícem sapientiam. Ut sciam... Glória Patri... Ut sciam...
The books of Solomon, such as Proverbs, the Canticle (of Canticles), Wisdom, which Philo composed, and Ecclesiasticus, which Joshua the son of Sirach put forth, are read from the beginning of August to the beginning of September, because this month is hot, and signifies the heat of the vices, in which we must rule (ourselves) wisely, as in the midst of a wicked and perverse nation. Or otherwise, because this month, August, is the sixth month (according to the ancient Roman calendar), whence it was called Sextilis before the time of Augustus Caesar, and our true Solomon (i.e. Christ) came in the sixth age of the world, Who made both one, and was the might of God, and the wisdom of God, and who taught us to live and teach wisely. This is Christ, the King of kings...
Again, on this Sunday, the Church begins the Proverbs of Solomon. For after the feast of the Trinity are read the books of Kings, since man, when he has the likeness of the Trinity, becomes a king and a priest, wherefore examples of kings and priests are set forth from those books... but afterwards, there follow books concerning doctrine, for examples are put forth by doctrines, since deeds teach more than words ... and thus, the books are ordered to each other, so that the examples from the books of Kings are put first, and then the doctrinal books of Solomon, which are a spiritual refreshment. (William Durandus, Rationale Diviniorum Officiorum, VI, 120, 1-3)
